The Tree-Ring Dating of the Nave Roof at Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire

During 2002 and 2004 some 103 samples were taken from 81 timbers throughout the nave roof of Salisbury Cathedral. Their analysis identified four major phases of construction and produced four new site chronologies: the 194-ring site master SARUM10 spanning the years AD 1057-1250, the 133-ring site master SARUM11 spanning the years AD 1409-1541, the 148-year site master SARUM12 spanning the years AD 1556-1703, and the 143-year site master SARUM13 spanning the years AD 1577-1719. The timber was all found to have originated from southern Britain rather than to have been imported. Timbers from the original nave roof produced felling dates of AD 1244 and AD 1251, and were associated with Roman and Arabic assembly marks respectively, and suggesting a two-phase construction of the nave moving to the west front. The eastern eight roof trusses were found to have been reconstructed during AD 1542 or shortly thereafter, the middle section was rebuilt in AD 1704 or shortly thereafter, and the westernmost six trusses were constructed in AD 1720 or possibly the following year. The analysis indicated a degree of stockpiling of between five and eight years, with the 42ft (12.8m) tiebeams being the principal members procured early due to their excessive length.